It wasn’t until I finished watching Reneé Rapp’s ten minute routine and Huda of Love Island fame’s regimen, that I sensed a pattern. I couldn’t stop looking at their tiny flesh-toned dots spread across their nose and cheeks. Now, faux freckles have been around for quite a while— Freckle pens are even pretty mainstream now. In fact, celebrity makeup artist Lisa Aharon talked to PureWow in 2021 about the trend, and advised that when applying faux freckles, make sure to match and blend with your skin to appear natural. But, I have to say…some of these faux freckles look more like paint splatter and less touched-by-the-sun. I know, I know—makeup is whatever you want it to be. And when Taylor Swift was spotted with glittery freckles at a Chief's game last year, you can bet the trend exploded even more. And honestly, I have to say: I’m concerned these “frauxckles” are getting out of hand.
Are Faux Freckles Getting Out Of Hand?
Pump the brakes
First off, the methods are getting unhinged. Beyond typical makeup or freckle pens, people have started to resort to using alternative methods like henna, beard dye, broccoli (as in, the vegetable) and even tattooing freckles on their face..
Second, there trend raises a bigger issue. On the heels of ‘ugly duckling core,’ freckles which, were once viewed as a ‘beauty flaw’ are now deemed en vogue because the ‘cool kids’ are doing it. I’ve seen the look on everyone from Billie Eilish to Megan Fox, but there was a time when freckled folks were bullied and teased so much that many went as far as concealing theirs with makeup. History even dates back to 1900s, when beauty products were marketed to ‘remove’ freckles since they were deemed (and I’m paraphrasing) ugly, embarrassing and ruining one’s appearance.
In a viral TikTok video about how to have the best waterproof faux freckles, one commenter shared, “It’s so crazy how I was bullied for years because I have freckles, but now everybody wants them.” While others see it as a good thing: “People liking freckles should be a healing process. Now, I can feel comfortable with mine.”
Regardless of how you put on faux freckles—whether it’s with a pen or a head of broccoli—I can still appreciate that we’re stepping away from minimal makeup and shifting to the experimental, out-of-the-box looks. I’m not saying you can’t do faux freckles. (Heck, I’ve been itching to try them out myself.) But it’s healthy to raise questions about why something is acceptable today when it wasn’t before. And…also, how about we don’t waste broccoli or use chemicals meant for hair on our face? I mean, if you’re not a pro on the freckle pen, there’s always those glitter patches Swift wore instead.
